[Eisenhower]

I've always wondered how so many Catholics can say that they are pro-choice, etc., and still claim to be following their faith. This article just brings to light one of the more prominent ones right now. I'm proud of the priest mentioned in this article, I'd do the same thing if I were in his position. Kerry and others like him give us Catholics a bad name. Thanks for the article.

[GreenCell]

I fully support the Catholic Church on this stance. If, as a member of a particular organization (Church or Boy Scouts) you go against their teachings/beliefs, than go elsewhere.
The organization doesn't want you nor do the true member.

[1stFreedom]

but that he disagreed with him on the issue of choice

No bias here, huh?

[Chris Talk]

The issue is a simple one of honesty and truth in advertising. A person who is NOT a Catholic ought not to claim he IS one.

And a person who is in favour of abortion, gay marriage, and the whole social rot in America today is NO CATHOLIC...
probably no Christian at ALL....

[Kirkwood]

I didn't think Kerry was a practicing Catholic.

[Kirkwood]

I didn't think Kerry was a practicing Catholic.

[Gabz]

Good article.

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

It's one thing for the Catholic church to behave like any other interest group and say, 'We have these positions and hope people will be persuaded by these positions.' That doesn't raise fears," said John Green, an Akron University professor who studies the intersection of religion and politics. "But when it gets to the next level, where religious sanctions are used against politicians because of positions they take. . ., that does raise some of the fears that people had back in the 1960s. I think that tends to increase the concern that the church may be playing an inappropriate role in democracy."

This is so Barbra Streisand.

First of all, churches are permitted to speak up on issues, but not on partisan candidates.

Secondly, they are permitted to control what is appropriate for their religion beliefs, so the esteemed prof is full of horse manure.

[Rushian]

Since I'm not Kerry's confessor, I can't speak for his Catholicity. However, it is my understanding that he is divorced and remarried, and his first wife is still living. If that is the case, he cannot recieve Communion for that reason, no matter his position on abortion.

[patton]

"Because if you're receiving Holy Communion in a state of grave sin, you're committing another sin," he said.

Question asked, and answered.

[Paleoguy]

"We have to be cautious about this. These fears are most plausible when it comes to things like denying Catholic politicians Communion. That's a religious sanction. It's one thing to say we think Senator Kerry is wrong. But it's quite another to deny the means of grace because of a political position."

This is moronic. The Catholic Church has a set of beliefs. Abortion is one of them. If he chooses to defy the Church's teachings, he is free to do so. But the Church is then also free to act accordingly and deny him Communion. This clown is speaking as though Kerry has a "right" to have Communion.

The Latin Mass, A Cultural Counterattack

[GeronL]

"But when it gets to the next level, where religious sanctions are used against politicians because of positions they take. . ., that does raise some of the fears that people had back in the 1960s. I think that tends to increase the concern that the church may be playing an inappropriate role in democracy."

A church has every right to make its own membership rules!

[4integrity]

...it's quite another thing to deny the means of grace because of a political postion....

....he would be denied the means of grace because he is going against the teachings of the Church and is not remorseful.

I would like to see more Catholic Churches remind their congregations that abortion is against the Church's teachings and, thus, Catholics should consider this when electing Officials. Something to think about...if we end up with only liberals on the Supreme Court, it will probably be against the law to talk about pro-life issues since that may offend someone ...just like the word 'Christmas' offends.

[onyx]

Thanks valin.

*Catholic ping please*


backhoe: for you files

[Ronin]

Some Catholic is going to have to help me with the logic here, but wouldn't giving Communion to any person who is manifestly not in keeping with Church teaching be a sin on the part of the Priest giving the Communion?

If so, wouldn't that sin, at that very moment, somehow contaminate the Communion? Not only for the Priest and the person receiving it, but for any other persons receiving Communion after him or her?

I take it as given that a Priest who is not in a state of Grace cannot conduct Mass or perform other sacred rituals.

By this logic, and I admit I am not a Catholic so I have no idea, wouldn't any politican who asks a Priest to give him Communion when he is not in the condition to receive it, be asking the Priest to commit a sin?

Sounds like a mighty arrogant thing for a politician to do, if you ask me.

[Chong]

"Because if you're receiving Holy Communion in a state of grave sin, you're committing another sin," he said.

You have to be perfect to receive Holy Communion and that receiving it in a state of sin is committing another sin? They say that being pro-choice is a GRAVE sin, but sin is sin in God's eyes, big or small. According to the above logic, the line at the Communion would be non-existent in my church.

Catholics, I am not attacking you, just having a hard time understanding your logic.

[Paulie]

"An ABC News-Washington Post poll last year found that 88 percent of Catholics find birth control morally acceptable, 62 percent found the death penalty morally acceptable and 30 percent found abortion acceptable."

Seems to me that regardless of whether these statistics represent the rank-and-file Catholic or not, it's the church LEADERS who'll be doing the honors of putting a stop to the hypocracy. Sheeple generally don't think things through before forming an opinion.

[peteram]

It's one thing to say we think Senator Kerry is wrong. But it's quite another to deny the means of grace because of a political position."

This statement tells me that this guy has no idea at all what he is talking about. A catholic must be IN a state of grace (free from sin through confession and repentance) before he/she can receive Communion. The sacrament is not a means of grace, it is a means of Communion with the Lord and the church.

[solitas]

For a long time in American politics, many voters believed that the election of a Catholic president would lead the country under the sway of the pope on state matters, according to presidential historians. The election of John F. Kennedy buried those perceptions.

Well, YEAH - he and his siblings drank and swived and lied and drugged just like any OTHER sybaritic heathens...

[Snuffington]

Blah, blah, blah for most of the article. It's a variation on a theme we've seen a dozen time already on this forum, in regards to Archbishop Burke alone (applause in his general direction before I move on).

This part pissed me off:

An ABC News-Washington Post poll last year found that 88 percent of Catholics find birth control morally acceptable, 62 percent found the death penalty morally acceptable and 30 percent found abortion acceptable.

Putting "the death penalty," something which is morally justifiable according to Catholic dogma, in the company of those other issues is very wrong!

Our current pope is personally against the death penalty. He has made very good arguments agasint it. What he has not done, nor attempted to do, is to pretend that his opinion on the matter carries the weight of a binding Church teaching.

Incidentally, the idea that polling is a good way to determine eternal truth just makes me giggle at the idiots who believe it.